World’s costliest fabric brand eyes $3 mn sales in India

New Delhi, Oct 17 (IANS) Scottish fabric maker Holland & Sherry, which has ventured into the Indian high-end male apparel segment with suit lengths costing a whopping Rs.3 million ($61,662), hopes to record sales of $3 million within two years.”We are currently in the introductory phase of entering the Indian market. We are looking forward to partner with high-end retailers and tailors in India and once the network is well established we expect to reach a figure of $3 million (in sales) in two years.” Holland & Sherry marketing director Malcolm Campbell told IANS in an e-mail interview.

“The annual turnover of Holland & Sherry is $72 million and is set to grow to $108 million over the next three years, with the new Indian market playing a leading role in its astonishing growth,” he added.

The Holland & Sherry collection will be retailed in India by leading textile company Digjam Ltd.

However, venturing into the Indian market was not an easy task for the brand as a lot of research went behind in studying the different cloth markets across the world.

“We had been on the lookout for business partnerships across the globe and after an in-depth study of markets in South Asia, Russia and the Middle East. It was unanimously decided that India would be best suited, given its growing economy, increasing purchasing power and its sophistication,” Campbell maintained.

The brand has also worked out its strategy to make a major impact in the Indian market with its collection.

“Having launched our products in Delhi, we will very soon announce the launch of the Holland & Sherry brand in other metros like Mumbai and Kolkata. Our goal is to be present in every regional market in India in a time frame of three years, which would include cities like Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Ahmedabad among others,” Campbell said.

Considering the celebrity brand endorsements in the clothing segment across the world, Holland & Sherry does not have a known face as its representative.

“We believe that Holland & Sherry does not need a brand ambassador as it enjoys a niche and loyal clientele that swear by its high-quality and exquisite range of products.

“It has, over the years, supplied some of the finest clothes to stars of the stage, television and the silver screen like Sean Connery, Johnny Depp, Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson,” Campbell said.

Sharing the mantra for the garment’s success over a manufacturing and distribution period spanning over 170 years, Campbell said: “The quality of our products and our customised approach has given us the reputation of becoming the “custom textile designers of the merchant business and this helps us expand our loyal customer base multifold.”